A brief message· So here we are, it’s the end of our first year, this time last year I honestly didn’t think we would be here. I thought like most of my hair brain ideas it would run a short while before falling by the way side, this as you can see has obviously not been the case. We have achieved so much and met so many people this year who have helped and supported us, I have been constantly overwhelmed by the feedback and kind words from followers and people who have picked us up. We have had some ups and downs but that comes hand in hand with any work, we can’t please everyone and some harsh emails have come through to us, but we intend to get better and stronger. That is why I am pleased to announce we will be running for a 2nd year, some things are going to change but we think it will all be for the better. We will be celebrating our first year with a party and exhibition which we are running with the good people of TestSpace Leeds so head over to our facebook page for all the details and come along. Many thanks Richard Chappelow Editor fon·i·ca magazine
Contents Handbook
Interview with up York musician and DJ Jake Brown.
Music Reviews
Harry picks his best and worst album of the year.
Serious Sam Barrett
We interview the Yorkshire based singer about his inspirations and plans for the future.
Handbook When I think about Jake Brown a.k.a. Handbook’s story, it makes me think whether there are any other massively talented, unsigned musicians and music producers, whose day jobs completely contrast what they do and produce in their spare time. Brown is a teaching assistant at a school in York by day, but any chance away from the classroom you’ll find him creating some very original and slick hip hop beats. In his 18 months of being a producer his popularity, especially on websites like SoundCloud and Bandcamp (at the time of writing he has well over 2500 followers on SoundCloud), has soared and his work rate (often releasing up to 7 new tracks a week) is unmatched. Brown is a big fan of using samples, which he finds from many different genres and walks of life (even using a snippet from an old Batman cartoon). His tracks are extremely atmospheric and moving and they perfectly capture the attitude they are intended to take. They give a new life to the samples, whilst still being respectful to the original piece of music.
Things are happening fast for Brown, with collaborations with other producers and rappers occurring more often, his first gig under his belt, with many more to come and even having his tracks used on American television. The future looks nothing but bright for this talented producer and at least when things gets stressful at school he knows he can go home and be with his beats. On the release of his new album ‘Celebriteeth’, in which each track is named after a famous actor, Handbook took some time to chat with us.
You play multiple instruments and have previously been in rock bands, but what made you decide to produce hip hop? I grew up listening to rock music, but it was music from 20,30 years ago, which is fine, but it wasn’t a scene that was there. It wasn’t something I felt I could be a part of. When I started listening to people like J Dilla, Flying Lotus and other more recent artists, I thought to myself “not only do I love this music, but I could make music like this.” So a few months after getting into hip hop, I went ahead and started making it. Which artists and musicians have inspired you most? Those guys, J Dilla, Flying Lotus, plus many artists and producers like Pete Rock, Madlib, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Jaco Pastorius. Everyone I listen to plays a part in the sound I make, whether they make beats, play saxophone or score beautiful, vast cinematic scores. I take it all in and channel it into my work. A lot of your tracks use samples, what makes a good sample? Is that where the genesis of a track lies? Ahh yeah, I’m a sample fiend all right. There is so much I look for in a sample, it’s a wonder I manage to get round to making the track at all. For me, it’s the moment captured by that musician. It’s the pure soul put into that record or song and the passion possessed by the artist. I pay great attention to all the delicate, minor details of tracks too, along with the hiss and pops of the vinyl the sample comes from. The beat is then inspired by the vibe of that sample. What is it about Afro-American music, be it hip hop, soul, funk etc. that appeals to you? That’s tough. It’s just the feel the music has and a really deep insight into a culture I don’t know a whole lot about. That grabs my attention because I love discovering new sounds, ideas and lifestyles that are totally different to mine. I find that infinitely inspiring. To say this isn’t your day job your work rate is impressive. Is every hour away from work spent creating tracks? Yes sir, I’m addicted it’s fair to say. When I get in from work, I flip the laptop on and make a beat, maybe two. I get ideas for beats during the day that taunt me when I’m at work and I just have to lay it down as soon as I get home. I post a track every couple of days on SoundCloud, but there is probably another two or three that isn’t posted for every one that is. Nothing else really gives me that much pleasure. How important do you think the internet and websites like SoundCloud and Bandcamp are to aspiring musicians? Hugely. It’s a brilliant way to get in touch with labels, sell or release your music to the world, but most importantly to get to know other artists. There are so many producers I know on SoundCloud, that I regularly talk to and work with. You learn so much from how others operate and that experience is invaluable. On a personal level, without SoundCloud I wouldn’t be making music in the volumes I am now, nor achieving the same quality or reaching the same audience.
What would you say are your biggest achievement so far? Buying an mpc1000 in April 2010, the release of ‘HaveFaith’ in April 2011 and my first gig in May 2011. Where do you want to go as Handbook? What does the next year have in store? Since being a kid, I have wanted to make a living from music. Whether it was being a Dance DJ, the world’s greatest rock drummer or a classical composer, it’s always been music. As Handbook (I feel) I’ve achieved a little more and there is potential for me. More gigs, more releases and more beats. Mostly beats. And finally, in the style of Desert Island Discs, what 3 tracks, from all musical genres, would you be happy to be stranded with, and why? Hmm. This will take a while... Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Child (Slight Return) I love that song. I devoted a lot of my time not only listening to it, but also playing it with Superstition (the blues band I played drums for). There is nothing wrong with it. Jimi’s riff and solo’s and vocals are so passionate and wild. I channelled that energy whilst playing it and it made me feel invincible. Common - The Light This track is beautiful. J Dilla produced and sampling Bobby Caldwell’s “Open Your Eyes,” this track, for me, is one of the best. It’s all perfect, and instils the soulful, unique approach J Dilla had. It inspires me no end, and is just blissful. The Beatles - Let It Be. Superlatives don’t do justice to the power and the soul that went into this song. I’ve tried writing songs like it, but the hundreds of attempts I’ve ever made don’t match the opening bar combined. It grows from a striking piano line into the finest chorus I’ve ever heard. It has it all and I can’t believe there was once a time when this song never existed. Interview by Harry Tolmie-Thomson Image Courtesy of Jake Brown
Music Reviews Part 1 - favourite album of the year so far
Iron & Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean It’s strange to think how Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam has musically evolved in just under a decade. His debut album ‘The Creek Drank the Cradle’ in 2002 is a gentle, beautiful, raw acoustic album. For much of his career Beam has been known as one man and his guitar, but, in later years, since the release of 2007’s ‘The Shepherd’s Dog’, a more fuller sounding album, he has juggled between performing in solitude and performing with his band. This year’s ‘Kiss Each Other Clean’ has seen even more growth in the Iron & Wine sound. It is an album drenched in 70’s influence, from glam to pop to west coast rock. And it works, it works brilliantly. This all comes down to Beam’s song writing ability. Everything he creates he does with elegance and at the same time with a swagger. His story telling is second to none and his imagery is pin point accurate, as is most evident in ‘Rabbit Will Run’, a Jazz inspired track which enters and exits different stages along the way, “Last I saw mother she covered my ears/When they caught me I offered the captain a beer/Because the rabbit will run, and the lion has nothing to fear”.
The production of this album is far more complex than anything else in Iron & Wine’s back catalogue. Each track, with ‘Godless Brother In Love’ being an exception, is heavily layered, but it isn’t suffocating. Some of the sounds and instruments used are often bewildering but it’s all part of the wonderment because the album doesn’t leave you feeling cold. You wouldn’t be surprised if Brian Eno had produced the album, and it’s hard to escape the similarities between early Roxy Music and stand out tracks like, ‘Big Burned Hand’ and ‘Your Fake Name Is Good Enough For Me’. The latter being a 7-minute finale which opens with a saxophone line Andy Mackay would be proud of, and ends in a multi-layered 4 minutes in which, it seems, everyone involved in the album has done their part in the gradual crescendo. A very powerful moment. The sound of this album came as a surprise and a pleasant one at that. It feels like a brand new start for Sam Beam, and I’m excited to see where he takes it next. When asked about his new sound, he stated that, he wanted it to sound like a pop album you’d hear in your parent’s car in the early 70’s, and I think he has paid tribute to that era perfectly whilst still keeping it modern and relevant. It’s just as beautiful as his previous work but in a completely new context. I raise a glass to the evolution of Iron & Wine. Words by Harry Tolmie-Thomson
Music Reviews Part 2 - most disappointing album of the year so far
Bright Eyes – The People’s Key I have been a huge fan of Bright Eyes and the talents of Conor Oberst for many years and regard them as one of my favourite bands. Whether you find Oberst self-indulgent or “the new Dylan”, as he was once tagged, you can’t deny the fact that he is one of the most skilled lyricists in music today. All this amounts to the fact that Bright Eyes’ latest offering has been my most anticipated and most disappointing album of 2011. The opening monologue of the album, voiced by Texan musician Denny Brewer, talks of the book of Genesis, reptiles, the Garden of Eden and other dimensions, already I have my concerns. It’s a running theme through the album, that of spirituality and Rastafarianism, references to the Lion of Judah and Haile Selassie, you could call it a concept album. This is not a my personal attack on religion, my problem with this record is that, unlike previous Oberst work, it’s not easily relatable, it’s hard to grasp a personal attachment onto the contents of the tracks. What Oberst does best is write lyrics about heartache, love, companionship, human suffering, society and politics and does it in such a way that you find a piece of yourself in the words, here it’s a struggle. It’s an album that seems distant.
Musically its played and produced very well as you’d expect from a Bright Eyes album. They have gone for a more experimental sound to that of previous releases like ‘I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning’ or ‘Cassadaga’ (you could say this one leans more towards ‘Digital Ash in a Digital Urn’). They have gone for a bigger sound reminiscent at times of Arcade Fire and bands of that ilk (not a band I’ve been hugely impressed by). I find though, much like the lyrics, that it’s again hard to grab a hold of anything. The majority of sound seems very cold and unapproachable, like it wants to keep you at arms length and you’re not welcome in. There are exceptions of course, ‘Approximated Sunlight’ is a sparse, soulful, trip with an addictive groove. A song which wouldn’t be out of place in the early 90’s trip-hop scene. ‘Ladder Song’ is a stunning and haunting, piano driven lament, possibly written about a close friend Oberst lost to suicide last year. There was a rumour floating last year that this would be Bright Eyes last record, obviously I hope not, but not just because I’m a fan but because it wouldn’t be the right way to leave. This album isn’t a terrible one, not by a long way. It just could have been so much better. Words by Harry Tolmie-Thomson
Serious Sam Barrett
When I first saw Serious Sam Barrett it was on the recommendation of a friend, I was interested but had no knowledge of his songs, the only thing I had to go on was that he was a Yorkshire singer who told stories of living in the north and fused them with threads of the American South. The night ended with my friend and I drunkenly scrounging our change together, so we could buy his debut album that was on sale at the venue. It feels quite surreal to be back in the same situation a few years down the line, another venue in Leeds is filled with people awaiting Sam to take to the stage, Sela Bar provides another fitting venue with its small warm feel and friendly atmosphere. Candle light fills the room as talk buzzes around the small room filled with people, they all quite down and hush as Sam comes on to the stage with applause. A year or so later from that night, Sam has been touring the US and the UK, we managed to catch up with him and ask him a few questions.
What inspired you to become a singer/songwriter? First of all I guess it was my Dad. He got me into load of singer songwriters mainly from the 60s. He plays and sings really well himself so I pretty much learned from him.
When did you write your first song? I wrote songs all the time when I was a kid. I tried to do loads of bands at school. Rock, metal and punk bands mainly. I probably wrote my first song when I was 12 or something. Did you always want to mix your local heritage with a more southern American folk/blues sound? For a while I was just mainly doing my own versions of old American songs, particularly blues and Carter family type stuff. It was only in the last 4 years I started singing local fold songs and putting more Yorkshire references into my music. Do you enjoy touring? What is one of your fondest memories from the road? Love it. Touring is what it’s all about. The US tour I did in May was incredible. I got to do so much cool stuff like ride in a Chevy drag race car, playing house shows in the desert, skateboarding on people’s back yard ramps at house shows. So many cool memories. Do you ever feel intimidated when playing in front of a crowd who don’t know you very well? Not so much nowadays. I get nervous when I play in front of loads of people but I play new places fairly often so I’m pretty used to it now.
What are your ambitions? How far do you want to take your music and career? I just want to keep travelling and playing. That’s all I need. You’ve just been in America, how was your blend of sound received there? It went great! I tend to play more traditional English songs when I’m over there because they haven’t really heard many of those. What inspires you to write? Girls, booze, places, and things I love. How do you craft a song? Are you always looking out for a local tale or some inspiration from Yorkshire? I usually have an idea for a song that will come to me really quickly. I usually write it mostly all in one go otherwise I lose the feel of the song and the spontaneity.
Shortly after talking to Sam, he gave us a sneak peak at a few new tracks from his upcoming album and we are pretty excited by what we heard. The new tracks will be released shortly on a split 10� Vinyl with Pine Hill Haints. Interview by Richard Chappelow Image by Dom Wynter
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